THE INTRACELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF OESTROGEN IN RAT TISSUES

Abstract

SUMMARY The radioactive material in rat pituitary, liver and uterus 1 hr. after the s.c. injection of either 0·73 or 7·3 μg. [6,7-3H]oestradiol has been investigated. Oestrone and oestradiol were the only compounds detected in pituitary and uterus whereas at least six compounds were present in liver. Cell fractionation studies have been carried out on anterior pituitary and liver from female rats which had received an injection of either 0·73 or 7·3 μg. [6,7-3H]oestradiol in vivo. Most of the tritium in the anterior pituitary was associated with the nuclear fraction whereas most of the tritium in the liver was in the soluble fraction. The uptake of [6,7-3H]oestradiol by the anterior pituitary reached a maximum ½-1 hr. after injection of the steroid and remained at this level for the next 3 hr. The intracellular distribution of this steroid at different times after injection suggests that the steroid passes into the cytoplasm and then into the nucleus.